


That Time Bruce Got Wasted and Brought his Family Back Together

by TreeTree



Category: Batman - Fandom, DCU
Genre: Bruce gets drunk, Bruce loves his son and wants him home, Gen, Jason Todd feels, Jason doesn't know what to do, Light Angst, Making Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 07:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9167707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeTree/pseuds/TreeTree
Summary: The title basically sums it up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My friend and I were discussing what would happen if Bruce Wayne ever got drunk a few days ago and this is what came from that particular conversation.

Of all the things Jason Todd has correctly predicted in his life, this is not one of them. Never in his wildest dreams could he imagine what is currently happening. Sure, he'd imagined and had experienced it the other way around, but this is just unheard of. Bruce Wayne, Jason's adoptive father and the goddamned Batman, is drunk on his doorstep trying to hug him. It's only out of morbid curiosity and the possibility of blackmail material that he lets Bruce in, and definitely not because he secretly wants Bruce to hug him or anything. 

Jason guides Bruce to his shitty couch in his even shittier apartment without too much trouble. He takes a seat next to the man he once idolized and who had saved him from a life on the streets. For a while, Jason just stares at the man while Bruce prattles on about God knows what. He looks older than Jason remembers, sadder even. He didn't think it was possible for Bruce to be even more angst-riddled, but he was so obviously wrong about that among other things.

The selfish part of Jason hopes that Bruce looks that worn-down and ragged because of either his death or his resurrection. If that were the case, it would be so much easier to believe that Bruce cared for him, that he still cares for him. However, the other part of Jason just worries for Bruce as well as his brothers. He's never included in family gatherings or shit like that and sure, it bothers him more than anything ever has. He wants to be included, but he still worries for their well-being whether they do the same in return or not. 

More than any of the others, Jason finds himself worrying about the demon brat. He guesses it's because they've both died and they both had really shitty moms. Damian has this sort of anger that reminds Jason all too much of his younger self, and he wants to protect Damian from the darkness that consumed him. Jason hates his life now, but it's too late for him to try and change it now. The kid has a chance to grow up happy and as well-adjusted as any son of Bruce and Talia's could be. 

Jason is abruptly taken from his thoughts when Bruce wraps his arms around his neck, and Jason leans into the touch for a fraction of a second before pulling away. The look on Bruce's face at his rejection is almost heartbreaking, it reminds him of the face Dick used to pull to get his way. Maybe this would be a good time for Jason to actually pay attention to what the drunk Batman is saying.

"-But Jay, I just wanna hug you and make it better. Dickie told me that you needed more hugs and that this was a good idea. You're just so fuckin' sad and it makes me wanna hug you until you're not anymore," Bruce slurs.

"Hugs can't fix us, old man. Fuck, I wish they could because all I ever wanted was for you to be a proper father to me," Jason mutters.

"Then why can't we start over, Jase? I failed you waaaayyy before you kicked the bucket, and you deserve better. I loooovve you, Jason. I never told you that, but it's true. I loooove yooouu! I love you!," Bruce exclaims.

"Are you sure that you're only under the effects of alcohol? Because this seems more like some type of villainous scheme to me," he asks in return to Bruce's preposterous declaration.

"Nope, this is all me. Everyone was out for the night and I was sitting in the cave staring at your uniform and thinking. Thinking turned to drinking and then I ended up here. Yay!"

"Okay, B, I think you need to sleep it off now," Jason says.

"I'll sleep if you tell me you love me too," Bruce protests.

"Fine. I love you too, Bruce," Jason says in a monotone.

"Nooo, say it with feeling, baby bird."

"Even though you're a total dumbass, I love you, dad. I know you did the best you could with a kid as difficult as I was," Jason says quietly. 

"Will you be here when I wake up?," Bruce asks through a yawn. 

"Sure, B, I'll be here."


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce wakes up on Jason's couch confused and hungover.

Bruce wakes up with a splitting headache and an aching back. When he opens his eyes and realizes that he's sleeping on someone else's couch, he begins racking his brain for any sliver of information from the night before. He remembers being in the batcave and thinking about Jason. He remembers getting out the alcohol and drinking waaay too much of it. He remembers... showing up at Jason's apartment. Fuck. That's where the memories end, but all he can do is assume that it went well-enough that Jay didn't throw him out.

He hears the tell-tale sounds of someone making breakfast in the kitchen along with a noise he can't quite place. Slowly and as quietly as he can while hungover, he stands and follows the noises. He finds himself standing in the doorway of Jason's tiny kitchen, watching as his son cooks bacon and eggs and... singing? Bruce doesn't know the song, but he hears the word 'nicotine' being repeated. 

This is the first time in years that Bruce has seen Jason so relaxed and at ease. It makes him think of all the times he caught Jason helping Alfred in the kitchen when he was younger. Jason always liked to feel useful, and Bruce could tell that helping Alfred helped him feel that way. Being Robin made Jason feel useful and wanted too, and Bruce hates that Jason needs to feel useful to feel loved. He doesn't realize he's smiling until Jason turns to him with a shocked expression. 

"I take it you don't remember what happened last night?," Jason asks curtly.

"I remember showing up here, but everything after that is gone. Care to fill me in?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I'll show you instead. It's lucky that I've got security cameras all around this place," Jason says, gesturing to the open laptop on the table.

Bruce takes a seat and press the play button with a sense of impending doom. He watches as he tries to hug Jason and tell him how much he loves him. To be honest, his behaviour doesn't shock him as much as he thought it would have. All of the things Bruce said to Jason last night were true, it just took him getting wasted for everything to come out. The shock to Bruce is how Jason responds to his declarations of love.

His first 'I love you' was just to get drunk Bruce to shut the hell up, but the second one was genuine. After all these years, Jason still gets the same shy look on his face when he tells someone how much they mean to him. In that one moment, Bruce sees Jason, his Jason, for the first time since that psycho murdered him. For the longest time, Bruce thought he was gone, that not even a trace of his Robin remained in Jason. Apparently that's not the case. 

Now that he knows that, he won't stop trying to get his son to come home. He knows that Jason's been looking out for Damian in his own weird way and that he and Tim have gotten quite close, but he still won't come to the manor. Alfred hasn't said anything, but it kills him knowing that Jason is alive and not being able to see him. Dick feels like he failed his baby brother and Bruce thought that he had failed as a father. 

"I meant what I said, Jay. I do love you and I want you to come home," Bruce says.

"I am home, Bruce. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a grown man who can take care of himself now. I don't need your charity anymore," Jason hisses.

"You are not a charity case or whatever the hell else you believe. You are my son and I won't give up on you," Bruce says fiercely.

"I'm not your son, you never legally adopted me. I was your ward, you were my legal guardian, nothing more."

"That's not true. I filled out the paperwork to legally adopt you as my son, Jason. It came through the day before you died and I was going to surprise you with it. Obviously that didn't happen," Bruce says quietly.

"...what? Bruce if this is some sort of sick joke, I will fucking murder you."

"It's not. I tried to tell you before, but you never seemed to keen on talking to me. Nobody but Alfred, Dick, and me knew. After you died, we kept it a secret. There was no point in discussing it then."

"I'm gonna hug you now, dad. After that though, this chick flick moment is over," Jason says before moving to hug Bruce.

"Does this mean you'll move back into the manor? Because your apartment is a shithole," Bruce asks with a laugh.

"I suppose it would be nice to eat Alfred's food again. Plus, me and Timmy can make Dickie's life a living hell," Jason replies with a grin.

"And I'll leave the room, pretending I don't see anything unusual happening," Bruce says.

"Yeah, and then you'll run to get Alfred because you don't know how to properly discipline your adult children."

"You're not exactly wrong, Jay. Honestly, I don't care about discipline so long as we're all together and nobody murders a family member."


End file.
